Severe storms across the Chicago area have caused over 200 flights to be canceled at O'Hare International Airport and Midway Airport, according to officials.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Chicago Department of Aviation recorded 163 flights canceled at O'Hare with average delays up to 77 minutes, as well as 83 cancelations at Midway with delays less than 15 minutes.
Potentially dangerous storms are moving into the Chicago area, some of which threaten to bring severe conditions, including damaging winds and hail, as they spark severe thunderstorm watches and warnings across northern Illinois and northwest Indiana.
Nearly all of the Chicago area is under the slight risk category for severe storms.
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A severe thunderstorm warning was issued Tuesday afternoon for much of northern Illinois and a watch for parts of northwest Indiana. The watch remains in effect until 9 p.m. CT.
Just before noon Tuesday, a severe thunderstorm watch was issued for portions of southeast Wisconsin, including Kenosha County. That watch remains in effect until 6 p.m. CT, according to NWS.
Weather
A severe thunderstorm warning was also issued for parts of Lake and McHenry counties until 2:15 p.m. Tuesday and for Cook, Lee, Ogle, DeKalb and Kane counties until 2:30 p.m.
Just after 1:30 p.m. people in Kane, DeKalb and northwest Cook counties were urged to go inside.
"People and animals outdoors will be injured," the NWS said. "Expect hail damage to roofs, siding, windows and vehicles."
A severe thunderstorm warning also was issued for Kendall northern LaSalle and northern Grundy counties until 3:15 p.m.
According to the National Weather Service, a severe storm capable of producing 60 mph winds and quarter-sized hail was spotted near Poplar Grove and was moving east at 50 mph.
The biggest threat with the storms will likely be damaging, straight-line winds and hail, though the risk of an isolated tornado cannot be ruled out.
"Hail damage to vehicles is expected," the NWS said.
The highest threat for severe conditions will sit east of the Interstate 55 corridor, across northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana, the National Weather Service states.
Though the day started with mostly sunny skies for the morning hours and warming temperatures, winds gradually increased, reaching up to 40 mph.
Clouds were expected to move in ahead of a cold front that was set to bring scattered showers and storms across northern counties around 2 p.m., according to Storm Team Meteorologist Alicia Roman. Those storms will inch toward the city, arriving around 4 p.m., then continuing into southern counties and northwest Indiana around 6 p.m.
The storms are expected to end by the early evening hours Tuesday as temperatures continue to cool.
Though highs are expected to reach into the upper 80s Tuesday, by Wednesday, conditions drop into the mid 70s, where they look to stay for the remainder of the work week alongside dry conditions.
